The US has launched an unarmed missile test in the Pacific Ocean, an unmistakable sign of strength in the face of recent escalations with China and North Korea. On Thursday night at 11:01pm, the Air Force Global Strike Command conducted an operational test launch of a Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.

The launch followed the shooting down of a Chinese spy balloon off the coast of South Carolina. The balloon, linked to a Chinese military surveillance program, had traveled across the continental United States before it was taken down. American intelligence believes the balloon was 'likely capable of collecting' American communications.

The US missile test was designed to demonstrate the nation's nuclear deterrence and accuracy of its weapon system while sending 'a visible message of assurance to allies', according to Air Force Global Strike Command Commander General Thomas A. Bussiere. The re-entry vehicle